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Braking News
IN THIS
ISSUE...

Act 171—
Suicide
Prevention

Message from
the President
V O L U ME
VI I I
I SS U E
I I I
O C T O B E R
2 0 1 5
New Law goes into effect for 2015-16 School Year
ACT 71 - Suicide Prevention Policy
The new policy should include:

PSBA Update

A statement on youth suicide awareness and prevention.

NCST

Protocols for administering youth suicide awareness and prevention
education to staff and students.

PA Family
Support
Alliance

Methods of prevention, including procedures for early identification and
referral of students at risk of suicide.

Methods of intervention, including procedures that address an emotional
or mental health safety plan for students identified as being at increased
risk of suicide.

Methods of responding to a student or staff suicide or suicide attempt.

Reporting procedures, and recommended resources on youth suicide
awareness and prevention programs, including current contact
information for those programs.

EPI-Pens

Grants
Database
As staff is trained at your schools, do not forget your bus drivers. Whether they
work for your district or a private contractor, the school bus driver may overhear a
conversation between students, or a student may make a comment as they exit the
bus especially at the end of the school day. Your drivers need to know what to look
for and who to contact if they suspect a student is thinking of suicide.
Submitted by JoAnne Yarnall, Immediate Past President
PAGE
PTAP
2
BOARD
OF
DIRECTORS
President—
Wayne B. Johnston
Director of Transportation
Springfield Township School District
(215) 233-6095
President Elect—
Marc Brooks
Upper Dublin School District
(215) 646-7778 - mbrooks@udsd.org
Secretary—
Jay Omslaer
Director of Transportation
Central Dauphin School District
(717) 541-0680 –
jomslaer@cdschools.org
Immediate Past President
Jo Anne Yarnall
Director of Transportation
West Chester A.S.D.
(484) 266-1040 – jyarnall@wcasd.net
Eastern Directors
Alline Smith, Berks County IU
allsmi@berksiu.org
Peter Matticola—Norristown Area S.D.
610-630-5022 –
pmatticola@nasd.k12.pa.us
Scott Wiand, Wilson School District
(610) 670-0180 - wiasco@wilsonsd.org
Eastern Contractor Representative
Peg MacLean, Gross Equipment
Grossequip.peg@dejazzd.com
Central Directors
Nicole Weber, Shippensburg SD
(717) 530-2710 –
Nicole.weber@ship.k12.pa.us
Scott Downey, Lower Dauphin S. D.
(717) 566-5340 – sdowney@ldsd.org
Butch McCusker, Williamsport ASD
(570) 326-0282—rmccuske@wasd.org
Western Directors
Patricia Motchenbaugh, Appalachia IU
(814) 940-0223 – plm@iu08.org
IU 14 Rep.– Darren Schlott— Berks
County IU 14 – darsch@berksiu.org
President’s Message
Or should I call it the President’s massage? The new year has started and still
my focus is on how can I make this job more tolerable. I have learned new
ways to deal with the stress over the years. My two supervisors, the Business
Manager and Superintendent, have both expressed ways to deal with the
rigors of the job. Yes, you heard me, both of them have suggested new ways
of dealing with things as they unfold.
By way of example, I want you to examine what you do to deal with what
goes on in the later part of August and what now seems like the entire month
of September. A bit of back ground information, if I may. This is my 34th
year at Springfield. I had never worked at a school district before. I was
unfamiliar with the phrase “that’s the way we do it” when I took the job. I
was given some latitude to design a system to service the students / customers of Springfield Township.
Over the years, the wear and tear has taken its toll. I have lived the job, thus
my attitude of this is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. The costs for that attitude have
been measurable. Life in August has been about bussing. Life in the fall is
about getting the year started and having the routes settle in to a routine for
the remainder of the school year. Winter brings on weather and early and late
hours in the office. And all of this leads up to SPRING. I will not cause you
that stress now, as it is way too early to start thinking about – ah never mind.
And just as we get through SPRING, it is right back to the aggravation of
getting registrations and phone calls to prep for the next school year. Essentially it does not end. So how do you stop, or at least pause the whirlwind?
Last year, as in the 2014-15 school year, I rewrote an entire bus schedule for
one of the districts of which my services are contracted for exactly that kind
of work. With the serious help of the department manager, a bus schedule
was written to eliminate all the issues that the tried and true, inefficient
system that had been in place for years had created. During the Labor Day
weekend, from Thursday night until the first day of school, I put in 84 hours
at this district making sure everything was connecting.
I have never attended a Labor Day picnic since 1983. I missed my own son’s
engagement party because I was working to ensure my customers had a
smooth opening. My August and September were dedicated to my job, and
nothing was going to interfere with that philosophy. NOTHING!!!
Well after a bit of a tiff took place last year, I was told by the two people that
oversee me that I was not permitted on Springfield property or the other
district’s property over the weekend. This was the very first weekend after
the opening of the public schools. I was told I would be suspended
indefinitely if I came to work.
So what was I supposed to do? I have always worked that first weekend to
resolve any last minute registration issues—to take care of all the things that
needed to be taken care of after the first week of school. I was totally lost. So
Continued on page 4
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3
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4
I made a rash decision. I would go away for the weekend. No laptop, no phone, no
nothing. I would just melt into the background and become a bump on a log,
somewhere. I got in the car, put the top down and drove into the sunset.
It reminded me of the feeling when I took my first cruise. Back then, there were no
cell phones, no internet, no communications unless you tried real hard to connect with
the real world off the ship. That was the same position I was now in. I simply
disappeared off the radar screen. I decided to stop by and visit a friend on my journey.
During dinner, my friend said she could see the stress draining out of me. It was that
obvious.
Ok, so it was very relaxing and very strange to sit there and feel the stress leaving me.
I never thought it could happen. But through the years, my attendance at stress management classes during various conferences I have learned to relax. I managed to teach
my two sons how to clear your mind so you could fall asleep anytime, anywhere. Just
like I did at the 2015 PTAP Conference, but that will be covered in another article.
So this year I decided to do the same thing. I took off. No top down this year, I had an
EZ Pass tag for my motorcycle. So with no top to put down, I headed west again. I
was much more comfortable this time. I was finally putting things in perspective.
After 33 starts of school, I realized that it is possible to have a life.
During that first week, I also did something I normally don’t do. At Dave Yarian’s last
PTAP Board meeting, prior to his retirement, he mentioned that his coworkers had
given him a gift certificate for a massage. Granted there are essentially two types of
massages, an Asian one and the normal one. If you have never had an Asian massage,
the difference is that for the Asian version, you are given a towel to rest you face in.
This is needed due to the pain that you will endure during the process. Yes, I said pain.
A good Asian message does things to you that require a certain amount of pain to
accomplish. When it is over, it is amazing how good you feel AFTERWARDS.
So on day two, I got a massage—45 minutes on a table to deal with – hmmm, well
what I thought would not be much. The masseuse, a friend, said she could not believe
how tight my back and neck were. I was not even aware of any sort of problem prior
to her remark. I guess I really am numb from the scalp down.
So there you have it folks. The stress has come and gone, or has it? For those of you in
this thankless position, look out for yourself. Few times will you find someone outside
of the world we live in that understands what we deal with each and every day. I know
how difficult it is to put yourself ahead of others, especially the ones we are charged
with transporting. You must always remember that the service you provide is valuable,
regardless of how much you have to deal with day to day. You are a huge asset to your
employer. You need to view things from that perspective and PROTECT THE ASSETT !!! Without you, things just would not be the same for a whole lot of friends,
family and students. Look out for number ONE, because no one else can do it better.
Wayne B. Johnston, President
PAGE
The Wizard and the Scarecrow
By Wayne B. Johnston, President
Each year I somehow manage to come up with a new phrase that reflects my gut
instinct of how things are transpiring. Last year was “I don’t get it”. That referred to
things happening for no specific reason. They just happened that way and I could
not figure out the common sense behind it. Maybe it is because there was no
common sense about it, and that is why I just did not get it.
This year could have been a repeat from last year. A driver this year did not come to
work. When called and asked why, they stated that they had not picked anyone up
the first two days of school, so there was no need to make the run. Forget the fact
that some parents take their kids to school the first couple of days prior to allowing
them to ride “Big Cheese”.
Another driver decided to do last year’s schedule instead of this years because they
said nothing changed. Well, had they bothered to look at the “new schedule” they
would have realized a lot had changed. Again, I just don’t get it. I suppose if I
figured they were to get paid the same thing they got paid last year, it might cause a
bit of an uproar. Not the same number of phone calls about the bus not showing up,
just an uproar.
Low and behold, other events convinced me that last year’s catch phrase just did not
fully represent this year’s perspective. Alas, as always, out of the blue came the
mantra for this year.
Have you noticed how every email you get now has a title attached to the person
sending it to you? I am still not sure what that has to do with the price of tea in
China, but it most definitely have something to do with expertise. After all, each of
us has one, an expertise.
For example, I have taken a liking to the Reading Phillies. I sit with a guy who is a
professional pitching coach. I listen to him call pitches and then watch to see what is
thrown. When the pitcher is toast, we both get a bit agitated as to why the coach is
not pulling him. Like everything, there must be more to the situation than either of
us is seeing. Maybe, maybe not.
Thus, the new phrase is “I am, I want!” I only wish this job was that simple.
Boyo Transportation
Don Boyonowski, Jr.
534 S 23rd Street—Harrisburg, PA 17006
Phone: 717-566-3005
Fax: 717-232-3202
boyotrans@comcast.net
5
PAGE
6
NCST – 2015 Version
Not to worry, NCST stands for National Congress on School Transportation. This report is a
bit dated, as the Congress was held in May of this year. While the actual Congress was full of
information, it was the adventure of driving to and getting back from the event that was the
real story. This will be a bit of a lengthy read, but I will not go into the detail I did for my
Superintendent, as her report was a full ten pages.
The NCST is held every five years. The past several were held in Warrensburg, MO. If you
don’t know Warrensburg, you should. It is the home of the B1 bomber group, and that has
played heavily into past events. Some will tell you that Warrensburg is in no man’s land. That
might be a bit accurate, but for starters they have a Wal Mart that is HUGE.
I normally drive to the Congress, as there are many reasons to make side trips going to or from
Warrensburg. This year in particular, having a second driver made the trip that much more
interesting.
The Congress focused on the new location of Des Moines, IA. What is in Des Moines you
ask? Well lots of things, if you take the time to do a bit of research. In my normal mode, I
recognize that I can be a PITA. So when I checked into the Hampton Inn, at the end of the Des
Moines International Airport, I asked where the hotel manager would go for a great meal. I
never want to know the “chains” in the area. I much prefer where the locals go as they know
the best spots.
The place he named, I saw on the way in. After waiting 45 minutes in line, there was no doubt
in my mind that we were at the right spot. So if you are in Des Moines, put Skip’s on your list
of where to eat.
The Congress was held in the Holiday Inn just three blocks away. Since I drove, it was my job
to pick up our latest supervisor of the school bus unit, Brett De Palma, on our way to the
meetings. As the delegation chair, it was Brett’s job to vote each time there was a change
suggested by the delegation. Because the electronic voting system failed, it meant Brett had to
walk to the end of the tables and stand to be counted. He did this 70 times by lunch time on
the first day. That is why Penn DOT hired a young kid for the position. LOL
The Congress was shortened from 4.5 days to 2.5 this year. This was done to save the time
commitment that each delegate made to attend. Understand that this is a 500 plus page manual
that is covered page by page. There are all 50 states represented along with both North
American neighbors as well as a few of the US territories and other interested parties such as
Saudi Arabia and Great Britain, to name the ones I actually had the chance to meet.
Overall, it was as informative as it has been in the past, and the general consensus was that we
should return to Des Moines as it was a great choice that was made by the committee to
change the location after the Warrensburg location was no longer available.
I promised to keep this short, so let’s get to everything that took place prior to and after the
Congress. The first stop was in Livonia, MI. A visit to the Roush facility to see their propane
program was arranged through MA Brightbill. A full day was spent at their sprawling facility
and included tours of the propane design and manufacturing, their Mustang upgrade facility,
their NASCAR division and the incredible museum. The day concluded with the entire staff
and a wonderful dinner at J. Alexanders.
As an aside, after all the planning that went into orchestrating the timing of this first stop with
Chelsea Uphaus at Roush, an interesting thing took place at our first meeting. I happened to
mention that my name was spelled correctly with the “t” in it. See the PITA part of me is alive
and well. Chelsea responded that she was a Johnston prior to being an Uphaus. I decided to
PAGE
dig a bit deeper and a few questions later Chelsea caused everyone’s jaw to drop when she
profoundly stated that we were related. Small world.
We left Livonia for the next stop, Goshen, IN. In the rain, we drove what seemed to be
forever to get there. Joe Shultz had called to tell me he and Evan Kushner had arrived in
Goshen. A few hours later, we had as well.
In the morning, I relied on my DA Garmin to get us to the Starcraft plant. Some 20 minutes
after leaving the hotel, we arrived at the plant. Vince gave us the full tour of the school bus
section, as well as the other products they produce on their huge property. Only when we
headed to lunch did I know how dumb my Garmin really was, or was it me that had the
problem. In less than five minutes we arrived at the restaurant directly in front of the hotel I
stayed at the night before. Just FIVE minutes. So much for technology.
It was time to head to Des Moines. A few years ago, I purchased a GMC Typhoon from a
guy just inside the eastern Iowa border. Even back then, the Indiana Turnpike abruptly ended
with five miles to go to get to Illinois. We were making great time, until I realized that the
same five miles of the Indiana Turnpike was STILL closed and under construction. So on a
hot May afternoon, in the blazing sun, we spent 2.5 hours to get into Illinois. Oh well, so
much for the thought of an early night and a nice meal to end the second day of the road trip.
We arrived in Peru, Illinois at 8:30 PM.
Day three put us in Des Moines for a noon meeting. NCST had officially started with an
orientation and dinner provided by the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association. It was time to
relax and go to Skip’s.
At the conclusion of the NCST, the game plan was to go to Smith Electric in Kansas City,
MO to revisit their electric vehicle program. I also wanted to stop by the Negro League Baseball Museum in the Jazz district. Hint, this is one place you will want to spend an entire day
if you love the game of baseball as much as I do.
After that, someone wanted to get some real KC barbeque. So we went a whole two blocks to
Arthur Bryant’s. If they don’t give you a pound of meat on the sandwich they don’t give you
an ounce. I, of course, restrained myself as I simply cannot eat that much without paying the
price later. Unfortunately, my travel companion did not waste any time devouring the entire
meal. For the next 250 miles I heard all about how good it was, and that we should have split
a sandwich.
The next stop was St. Louis to go up in the Gateway Arch. The entire grounds of the Arch are
being upgraded and I cannot wait to see it completed. We headed out of St. Louis toward
Bloomington, IN. In Bloomington is a place call Little Zagreb’s. Nothing fancy, mind you, as
it sits right next to the railroad tracks. This little gem was found back in 1992 during the
construction of our methanol bus by Carpenter Manufacturing in Mitchell, IN. I will only say
there is not a comparison with regards to the filet mignon. Many may get close, but nothing
beats it and after much fanfare, my partner in crime on this road trip fully agreed.
One more stop in the morning at the Oliver Winery to pick up some special items for the
restaurant, and we headed back to PA and home. For those wondering about some statistics,
here we go. We rode in my GMC crew cab dually. It will get 25 MPG on the highway, so the
fuel bill was not too bad. For example, I can leave Philly and get to Louisville, KY before
needing to get fuel. The truck basically sat for 5 days of the 14 day Mid America tour and yet
we still put on 2,609 miles.
In the end, the experience was invaluable and the knowledge gained could not have been
done so in any other way. So when you head out on your next adventure, think about what I
have just told you and how you too can learn far more than you ever thought you could simply by seeking out places you might not ever think about visiting.
7
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8
Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance
Visit our new
website!
www.pafsa.org
PFSA relies on technology to educate mandated reporters, parents and the general public
about child abuse prevention. After a year of planning, working with design teams and web
developers, writing new content, and updating information, we're excited to launch our new
website at www.pa-fsa.org. Here's what you'll see:
 Faster, easier navigation: Our new website will allow you to quickly navigate to exactly
what you want to know, with each section color-coded by audience.
 PFSA’s state-of-the-art online training is easier than ever to access and fully meets all of
the requirements for training under the amendments to CPSL. We electronically submit
your continuing education credits to medically-related licensing boards under the
Department of State.
 More interactive quizzes for parents and community members.
 It’s easy for you to join the fight against child abuse with one click – contact your
legislator, receive email alerts and updates, donate to our prevention efforts and find out
more about protecting kids.
 Find out where we are holding prevention events, when new legislative or policy issues
are at the forefront and other “hot topics” with a quick look at any page of the site.
 We added a brand-new section for community members and those interested in our Front
Porch Project.
 Pennsylvania’s 24-hour hotline to report child abuse, ChildLine, is shown on every page,
so it’s easy for you to make a report of suspected abuse. Mandated reporters can also
access electronic reporting via our website’s link to the Department of Human Service.
And much more! Visit us now, and bookmark our page for easy access to child abuse
prevention information.
Child abuse is a serious problem in every community in Pennsylvania. For decades,
Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance has partnered with local family support programs,
legislators, schools, faith-based groups and county government offices to stop child abuse –
not only after abuse occurs, but by preventing it from happening in the first place. We also
focus on keeping children safe when a situation may escalate to abuse.
We can’t prevent child abuse when we view it as the responsibility of a few groups of people
– “that’s Department of Human Services’ job”….“the police should handle all that”…“why
isn’t the county doing more?” It’s time for us to see child abuse as everyone’s problem and
know that everyone has a role to play in protecting PA’s kids from abuse.
Mandated
Reporters
Mandated reporters (people required by law to report suspected child abuse) make over 75%
of the calls to ChildLine, the state’s hotline for reporting suspected child abuse. They are often
the only link between a child and safety from abuse, and they often spend much of the day’s
“awake hours” with a child. The mandated reporter’s role is to be aware of the signs of
possible child abuse and to make a report whenever he or she has a reasonable cause to
suspect that abuse has occurred. The earlier abuse is recognized, the more likely it is that
services to address underlying problems will be effective. When mandated reporters build
relationships with county child protection agencies, they strengthen the safety net for kids in
their communities.
Parents and others in a parental role are the largest group of perpetrators of child abuse. By
learning how to discipline without physical punishment (which can escalate to abuse),
understanding child development and normal behavior, and accepting help and support from
others, parents can create positive, nurturing homes for their children. They can also prevent
abuse of their children by other adults by creating open communication with their children and
knowing the signs of abuse.
Everyone in the community can do something to help a child or support a parent. From a
neighbor who “keeps an eye out” as kids play in a park, to a stranger who offers a struggling
parent a hand or a smile, to a church that sponsors after-school activities – we can all find
ways to become part of the solution, one child at a time.
Access to huge grants database:
PAGE
9
There are many federal, state, and private foundation funders that provide grants for essential services, professional
development, classroom technology, and innovative projects. Unfortunately, many districts don’t have the resources nor
personnel to pursue these opportunities effectively – or even identify them – until now.
PSBA (Pa School Boards Association) is excited to announce a new complimentary member service, Grants Support
Program, to help you find grants for your school entity. PSBA teamed up with Grants Office, a leading provider of
education grants support with a national reputation. Details and login information was sent to all superintendents in the
state of PA.
EPI-Pens
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill in April that would protect school bus drivers
who administer epinephrine auto-injectors, or Epi-Pens, to students.
EpiPens are most commonly used to treat anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction. The bill now heads to the state senate to
await approval there.
House Bill 423, sponsored by Rep. Justin Simmons, would grant civil immunity to school bus drivers who use an EpiPen on a
student who has an allergic reaction on the school bus. The bill would require that bus drivers participate in a training program
developed by the state Department of Health and follow district policy in order to use the EpiPen. The bill would also not
exactly enact a usage policy, but would simply provide civil immunity to those drivers who use it under particular guidelines.
While some districts and bus companies in Pennsylvania allow their drivers to administer the drug to students in case of an
emergency, some may be reluctant to use it due to potential liability issues.
“Our goal is to allow more children with allergies to receive this often life-saving emergency treatment,” said Simmons. “A
group of mothers in my district brought the issue to my attention over the concern that their children would have an allergic
reaction while on the school bus, threatening their lives. They believe it only makes sense for the bus driver to be able to treat
the child immediately in order to prevent a serious medical problem, and I agree.”
Simmons sponsored a similar bill last year that also passed the House but stalled in the Senate.
Did You Know??
By JoAnne Yarnall, Immediate Past President
PTAP is a department of the Pa School Boards Association. Here is what PSBA offers the school districts in Pennsylvania:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Legislative Forum on public education issues—Budget, Pension Crisis, Charter School Reform, Adequate, Equitable and Fair
Funding, Strong Voice in the Political Arena
Grants Support Program
Career Gateway
Training and Networking Opportunities
These are only a few of the benefits your district is already receiving through PSBA. Check out their website at www.psba.org
and sign up for the Daily Edition, a great way to see the hot topics from around the state without spending a lot of time researching. The Daily Edition is emailed to you each morning.
So what does this all mean? How does this affect you as a member of PTAP?
As a department of PSBA, one or two of our board members have a seat on the Advisory Council. We are there to represent our
membership to PSBA, to have a voice on what are important issues in student transportation and to educate members of PSBA
about those issues. We also get information from PSBA and pass it back to our membership. For example, read the article in this
newsletter on the new law, Act 71.
Sustaining Firm Members
Trapeze Software Group

Zen-tinel, Inc.

1100 Superior Ave E
Cleveland, OH 44114
650 S. 13th Street
Indiana, PA 15701


216-539-1810
724-357-9709
FAX 724-357-9661
L3G Solutions

P.O. Box 373
Chenango Bridge, NY

607-760-5038
FAX 607-648-4286
247 Security

4400 N. Point Pkwy.
Alpharetta, GA 30022

866-693-7492
FAX 404-358-8828
Koroseal

Eagle Wireless

3875 Embassy Parkway
Fairlawn, OH 44333
15 Windsor Pass
Horsham, PA 19044


800-938-2858—FAX 330-668-7705
csweet@rjfnet.com
215-672-0575
Bus Parts Warehouse

AngelTrax

1 Thermold Drive
Manius, NY 13104
9540 US Hwy 84W
Newton, AL 36352


800-635-5567
FAX 877-682-4443
334-692-4600
Angela.putnam@angeltrax.com
Sustaining Firm Members
Petroleum Products
Monitoring, Inc.
Robert Long
1521 Collins Hill Road, Lawrenceville, GA
Phone: 770-962-9377
Fax: 770–995-1681
long9262@bellsouth.net